Drying apparatus



June 12, 1928. 1,673,464

^ w. L. MCLAUGHLIN DRYING APPARATUS L AUGf-[Lnf June 12, 1928.

W. L. MCLAUGHLIN DRYING APPARATUS Filed June 27, 1927 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented June 12, 1928.

UNITED STATES WILSON L. MCLAUGHLIN, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

DRYING APPARATUS.

Application led J'une 27,

My invention relates to a novel method of economically removing excessive moisture from comlninuted fuel or similar granular material.

One of the objects of my invention is to successfully dry comminuted fuel such as pulver-ized coal, peat, sludge, culm. and the like Without destroying valuable volatile mattei in the same by harmful oxidizing gases.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a drier for removing moisture from granular matter which at all times is completely under the control oi' the operator, whereby any desired dryness of the matter may be obtained.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a novel drier for removing uucombined water from pulverized material that will uniformly dry all material that passes from the same.

A further object of my invention is to provide for drying material reduced to impalpability without loss of the material.

A still further object is to provide a material drier which is capable of inspection While the material is being dried.

More specifically, the object of this invention is to deposit the material to be dried upon a rotatably mounted heated platform above which is a series of adjustable plows for stirring and removing the material thereon.

These and other object-s will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side sectional view of my complete device installed and in use.

Fig. 2 is a top plan sectional view of a heat distributing container beneath the rotatable drier and is taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 1 and shows a rotary platform drier and a series of ploWs in operative position above the same.

The laboratory experiences and practices have proven that fuel is consumed with the highest efiiciency when reduced to powder and combined with the proper proportions of air. To secure efficient and complete pul- 1927. Serial No. 201,884.

verization, it is necessary that substantially all uncombined water shall be removed from the same. Also in burning fuel of this nature. it must be in a dry state. Although my device may be used for the drying of many other types of material, it is especially to meet the need of drying coal and such carbonaceous substances.

There are several devices now on the market for drying comminuted fuel such as the rotary tube drier and drying tower. In the rotary tube drier, there is no Way of controlling the amount of moisture to beremoved from the material. The chance of removing certain physical characteristics of the fuel, is always present. The is no way of watching the drying process, and one must accept the material in an unknown state as it is discharged from the rotary tube drier. In the drying tower, the comminuted fuel is dropped into the tower against a rising heated gas. This rising gas carries with it, much of the pulverized material and the same is wasted. This gas has anoxidizing action that destroys many of the valuable properties of the fuel. These and other disadvantages have been overeome by my de vice as will hereinafter be appreciated by tho-se skilled in the art.

I have used the numeral 10 to designate the heat distributing and combustion chamber of the device having the inlet pipe 11 designed to -eXpel products of combustion into the chamber. Inside the heat chamber 10 is a circular wall 12 as shown in Fig. 2, to cause the heat to come into contact with and be evenly distributed against the bottom of my rotatably mounted drying platform before the same passes from the chamber. Secured to the bottom of the chamber, or container 1() by suitable means is the coneshaped supporting member 13 having the ball bearing 14 mounted in its top portion. Resting upon the top of this ball bearing is a bracket member 15 secured by suitable means to the underside of my platform drier 16, which has been heretofore referred to. Permanently secured to the drying platform 16 near its center and communicating with the inside of the heat distributing container 10, is the chimney 17. By this construction, if the chimney 17 is rotated, the drying platform 16 will be rotated above the heat. distributing container. For preventing any side play of the chimney 17, I have provided the bearing member 18 secured to the landing 19 with the beams 20 interposed, as shown in Fig. 1. Permanently secured on this chimney above the landing 19 is the large wheel 21 having sprocket teeth 22 on its periphery. In order that the weight of this large wheel will not rest entirely upon the chimney 17, I have pro vided a series of supporting rollers 23, each rotatably secured to a bearing member 24 secured to blocks 25, which rest on the landing 19. The numeral 26 designates a stand on the landing 19 and secured upon which is an electric motor 27. Rotatably mounted in the bearin v members 28 secured to this stand is the sha t 29 having one end in operative engagement with the clutch 30, which is shown in conventional form and which is designed to be capable of operative engagement with the motor 27. Permanently secured on the opposite end of this shaft is a bevel gear 31 in operative engagement with a Second bevel gear 32 permanently secured to one end of the shaft 33. This shaft 33 is journaled in the members 34, which are secured to the stand 26. Permanently secured to the other end of this shaft 33 is the pinion 35 in operative engagement with the teeth 22 of the wheel 21. From this construction, it will readily be seen that if the motor is running and the clutch 30 is in o rative engagement with the same, the platform 16 will slowly be rotating. m racing the chimney 17 and terminating a short distance above the platform 16 is a feeder pipe 36 having a funnel 37 integrally formed on its upper end. This ipe is secured and held in pro er position y braces 38 leading from the ownwardly extending beams 39 secured to the landing 19. The numeral 40 designates a storage bin mounted on the landing 19 having an outlet pipe 41 leading .to and 'capable of discharging granular matter 42 such as powdered coal into the funnel 37. This granular matter passes down through the ipe 36 around tie pipe 17 and onto the rying platform 16, as shown in Fig. 1. To revent arching or clogging of th1s matter 1n the pipe 36, I have provided lugs 47 on the rotating chimney 17. Having one of their ends secured to the pipe 36 and their other end secured to a flooring 54 are a plurality of bracket members 48 radially extending over the drying platform 16. Rotatably mounted in each of these bracket members is a plurality of downwardly extending rods 49. Secured to the lower ends of each of these rods is a small plow 50. Secured to each of these rods 49 is alaterally extendin arm 51. The numeral 52 designates a ar pivotally mounted on each series of arms 51, as shown in Fig. 3. By this construction, if the bar 52 is reciprocated, the plows which are in operative engagement with that particular bar will be rotated, thereby changing their angle relative to a given path. e movement of each of these bars 52 is accomplished by the ordinary and well known hand lever 53,'

which. may be locked in any desired position.

The practical o eration of the device is as follows: Suita le fuel, mixed with the proper proportions of air, is injected into the chamber 10 through the pipe 11. This inflammable matter is first ignited through the small opening 43 in the side wall of the chamber. After being ignited and successfully generated the heat from the same will follow the circular wall 12 around to the center of the distributing chamber during which it will come in contact with the platform 16 before it passes through the chimney 17. The motor 27 is then started, which will slowly rotate the chimne 17 and the rotatably mounted drying plat crm 16. The rotation of the chimney will cause the anular matter to be dried to pass out 0 the distributing pipe 37 onto the drying platform. As the plows 50 are held stationary adjacent the top surface of the dr ing platform, the slowly rotating platflirm will bring the material to be dried in contact with these plows, which, due to their construction and position, will stir the material vand work the same outwardly toward the marginal edge of the platform. These plows should be so constructed and arranged that at least one series of plows will catch the oncoming granular material and turn it over in a direction opposite from the other plows. This assures the thorough stirring of the material on the hot drying platform. If the material is very wet, the an le of the lows should be so set that the will not rea ily force the material to the e ge of the platform. If the material is not very damp, the plows should be so set that the same will readily pass from the center of the plat form to the periphery of the platform. The angle of the plows may be quickly changed and permanently held 1n the desired position by the hand levers 53. One of the series of plows should be adjacent the receiving pipe 55, as shown in Flgs. 1 and 3. so that the last low in this series will catch the materia that is worked to the edge of the latform and force it into the pipe 55. as 1 lustrated in Fig. 1. To aid in guiding the material that has reached the periphery of the platform to pass from the platform 16 to the pipe 55, I have provided the projection 56 extending a short distance over the marginal edge of the rotatably mounted platform. The pipe 55 may lead and deposit the dried material at any desired place.

From the foregoing description, it will readily be seen by those skilled in the art, that I have provided a drying apparatus that will remove moisture from granular matter without harmin the same and which is always under comp ete control and inspection b the operator. Y

Some c anges may be made in the construction and arrangement of my improved' drying apparatus without departing Vfrom the real spirit and purpose of my invention and it is my intention to cover by my claims an)7 modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a heat distributing chamber, a rotatably mounted platform inclosing the top of said chamber, a chimney secured to the center of said platform and communicating with said heat chamber, a distributing pipe embracing said chimney, a means for rotating said chimney and terminating above the said platform, a pipe for supplying ranular ma terial to be dried to said distri utin pipe, and a stirring means for agitating t e material on said platform.

2. In a device of the class described, a heat distributing chamber, a platform rotatably mounted above said heat chamber, a chimney permanently secured to said platform near its center and communicating with said chamber, a means for rotating said chimney, a material distributing pipe embracin said chimney and terminatin above said p atform, a pipe for feeding t e material to be dried to said distributing pipe, 1u on said chimney and inside sald distri uting pipe, and a means for agitating and removing said material from said platform.

3. In a device of the class described, a heat chamber, a rotatabl mounted flat platform inclosing the top o said heat chamber, a pipe for supplying material to be dried to the center of said platform, a peripheral flange integrally formed on said platform, a series of plows for stirring and removing said material, and a raised portion inte grally formed on said platform and directly under said pipe for guiding and promoting the passing of sai material into said plows.

4. In a device of the class described, a

heat chamber, a rotatably mounted platform above said chamber, a chimney secured to the center of said platform and communicating with said heat chamber, a means for rotataing said chimney, and a distributing pipe em racing said chimney and terminating above said platform for supplying granular material to be dried to said platorm.

WILSON L. MOLAUGHLIN. 

